We are blessed with having perhaps the most passionate fans to ever listen to a bootlegged recording or mosh at a show, so I want to really give them a motherlode of Rage Against The Machine history, past and present.

We're able to take pride in the fact that in the history of rock music there has never been a more popular band with as radical politics as [us], nor has there been a band with more radical politics that has been as popular. That is the lasting testament to the first shot fired by this album

To that end, the release includes the remastered original album with three live track B-sides, the band's original demo tape, a June 6, 2010 performance in London's Finbury Park, music videos, live footage from 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997, and a homemade video of their public performance on Oct. 23, 1991 in North Ridge.

Damn. Not only would new material be good in and of itself, but it would also likely mean a tour supporting the new music, which would present an opportunity to see them for a reasonable price instead of the exorbitant festival ticket prices that I still refuse to pay.

Also, based on his statement here, it sounds like Tom Morello is becoming almost as bad as Tom DeLonge, ego-wise.

I think he's been pretty big on himself for awhile now. It's like he does this fake humility that comes across as even more pretentious than if he were just unambiguous about how awesome he thinks he is at stomping on effects pedals.

Have you ever had a group of people care about you who could be considered to be "fans"?
I'm talking about people respecting/praising/caring about you you because of a one-way relationship they've got with the art you made without any motives because you felt like you just had to do it?

It's not an ego thing, it's just really, really weird to be in that situation and it's pretty much impossible to say anything about it without coming off like that. If you read it from the point of view that he believes he's a fuck-up, outcast doing something that's probably not very good and even 20 years later can't believe the reaction - would you think of it differently?

It would be easier to retain my fond memories of listening to their first couple albums if Tom didn't come across as such a douche everytime he opens his mouth. "That is the lasting testament to the first shot fired by this album"? You released a rock album, not stormed the beaches at Normandy.

"We're able to take pride in the fact that in the history of rock music there has never been a more popular band with as radical politics as [us], nor has there been a band with more radical politics that has been as popular." Tom Morello--Such a dick that he counts one self-granted accolade as two.

He's not wrong, either. There is literally no politically radical music in pop culture unless it's right-wing. SOAD and Green Day tried I guess, but their lyrics are so trite and shitty they really don't count because they don't mean anything.

Green Day tried but gave up and made music equal to the other non-radical pop culture music out there. On a side note three albums is just as pretentious as Tom here. SOAD? I don't know much about them, but their lyrics (from the song I have heard) are exactly what you described.

Agreed.
The thing is, the most "politically radical" friends I've got are all friends in the same field as me; Music Production. They apply absolutely zilch of it into their craft, though. It's kind of sad to see, because even though I've made a conscious choice not to spread any particular political agenda - I at least owe it to myself to incorporate as many levels of subversion as I possibly can into my craft.

I've had a few discussions about it with some of them about it and they've all just claimed that having an agenda in their personal life (that differs from the viewpoint of "the industry") makes them subversive enough to not have to do anything (despite living in LA with a wife and 2.5 kids). I'd honestly be interested in hearing your take on that, if you can refrain from being snarky or attacking me personally.

Ok, in the strictest semantic sense, you're right; the two clauses do have slight differences in modifiers and placements. Being the most popular political band is different from being the most political popular band. But for all practical intents and purposes, he's being entirely redundant.

I've never found Ted Nugent's music to be radical. It's the usual schtick: women, manly men, surviving in a tough world. I might be wrong, but I think he saves his own brand of radicalism for interviews, shows, and tweets.

When I was in high school, I was constantly listening to the self-titled and Evil Empire albums. I didn't get quite so much into BOLA. These days, I can hardly listen to RATM at all. It was definitely suited to a specific moment in my life, and I can't help but expect that anything new will do nothing for me.

That Finsbury Park show was absolutely incredible and I'm not a fan of this band. In fact, I saw them twice on the reunion and it was absolutely atrocious both times.

In case you don't know, they put on that show for free because of a fan-initiated campaign to have that jock-rock nu metal singalong track be the #1 Christmas single of 2009, a spot that's pretty much reserved for reality show winners. The fact that they were that incredible and it was free sure made me respect them a hell of a lot.